The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and an information processing method.
In recent years, functions of devices such as electronic devices and so forth have become more sophisticated as well as increasing in number, and the instructions which the user has to give to the device to user the device are becoming more varied and complex. As such, many devices employ GUI (Graphical User Interface) as the user interface, whereby instructions can be given to the device more easily than in a case of using a device employing CUI (Character User Interface).
However, for users who are not accustomed to using a pointing device such as a mouse for example, a GUI is not necessarily an interface with good operability. Accordingly, there is demand for a user interface by which users can give instructions to devices more intuitively. This has led to user interfaces being developed to improve user operability. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-31799 is one example of a technique for detecting shapes and actions of part of the body of a user or objects operated by the user, and performing processing according to the detected results.
An information processing device to which related art relating to a user interface for improving operability (hereinafter referred to simply as “related art”) has been applied (hereinafter referred to as “information processing device according to the related art”) detects gesture actions of the user using the arms, palms, fingers, and so forth, in a space, by performing image processing of imaged images (moving images, hereinafter referred to as “imaged images”). In the event that gesture actions of the user have been detected, the information processing device according to the related art performs processing corresponding to the detected gesture actions of the user. Accordingly, the user of a information processing device according to the related art can provide instructions to the information processing device according to the related art in a more intuitive manner than a case of using a GUI, and accordingly, user operability might be improved using the related art.
However, with the related art, shapes and actions of at least a part of the body of the user on the space, such as arms, palms, fingers or the like, or objects operated by the user, are detected to detect the gesture actions of the user, so image processing has to be performed on the entire imaged image. Accordingly, the more type of gesture actions there are to detect, and the more complex the gesture actions are, the higher the processing capability demanded of the information processing device according to the related art performing image processing is. Now, even though the processing capabilities of information processing devices such as PCs (Personal Computer) and so forth have improved in recent years along with higher functionality, diverting a great amount of calculating resources to the user interface might result in insufficient calculating resources for realizing other functions such as functions for controlling communication, for example. Also, in the event of a case where calculating resources for realizing other functions has become insufficient, processing relating to this function is not performed until the insufficiency of calculating resources is resolved, so with information processing device according to the related arts, an undesirable situation can occur in which the user is made to wait for an unreasonable amount of time, or the function is not realized.
Accordingly, with the case of using the related art, improvement in user operability is not improved without fail, since user convenience may be scarified.